1 00:00:00,740 --> 00:00:03,450 thank you so much . General Williams 2 00:00:04,260 --> 00:00:05,816 and thank you for that warm 3 00:00:05,816 --> 00:00:07,927 introduction . You know , it's always 4 00:00:07,927 --> 00:00:10,204 tough to speak behind General Williams . 5 00:00:10,204 --> 00:00:12,260 He's such a , such a great speaker . 6 00:00:13,740 --> 00:00:15,907 Every time I come back here , it feels 7 00:00:15,907 --> 00:00:18,160 like I'm coming home , by the way , 8 00:00:18,170 --> 00:00:20,940 general , what do you call this group 9 00:00:20,940 --> 00:00:23,190 of fine men and women that I see 10 00:00:23,190 --> 00:00:25,301 assembled on the field in front of us 11 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:28,296 call the warriors ? Mr . Secretary . 12 00:00:28,296 --> 00:00:31,770 Okay , soup says he calls you warriors . 13 00:00:32,940 --> 00:00:34,940 I'm gonna call you lieutenants . Is 14 00:00:34,940 --> 00:00:37,950 that okay with you ? Yeah , mm . 15 00:00:42,740 --> 00:00:46,620 Okay . This is a big deal 16 00:00:46,620 --> 00:00:48,842 guys . I want your Secretary of Defense 17 00:00:48,842 --> 00:00:51,120 to be the first to call you lieutenant . 18 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,760 So yeah . Okay . 19 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,040 Yeah . Yeah . 20 00:01:00,140 --> 00:01:02,362 It is great to see Senator Reid and his 21 00:01:02,362 --> 00:01:04,760 classmates from the class of 1971 22 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,060 Congressman Womack , Acting Secretary 23 00:01:09,060 --> 00:01:11,870 Whitley , General McConville and so 24 00:01:11,870 --> 00:01:15,530 many others of the supporters of this , 25 00:01:15,540 --> 00:01:18,690 uh , this exceptional academy . And let 26 00:01:18,690 --> 00:01:20,740 me again thank General Williams and 27 00:01:20,740 --> 00:01:23,270 Sergeant Major Coffee in all of the 28 00:01:23,270 --> 00:01:25,420 faculty and staff here at West Point 29 00:01:25,420 --> 00:01:27,620 for all that you do and all that you 30 00:01:27,620 --> 00:01:30,930 have done to uphold the traditions of 31 00:01:30,930 --> 00:01:33,160 this extraordinary place 32 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:38,330 and for all that you have done for the 33 00:01:38,330 --> 00:01:41,410 newest officers in our United States 34 00:01:41,410 --> 00:01:45,370 Army . And that brings me to the class 35 00:01:45,370 --> 00:01:49,250 of 2021 . You know 36 00:01:49,260 --> 00:01:51,482 the next time that I see your commander 37 00:01:51,482 --> 00:01:54,940 in chief and I see him often , I will 38 00:01:54,940 --> 00:01:58,590 report to him some very good news . And 39 00:01:58,590 --> 00:02:01,850 that good news is that reinforcements 40 00:02:01,860 --> 00:02:03,460 are on their way ? 41 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:07,380 Yeah . 42 00:02:12,740 --> 00:02:15,220 Let me give a quick shout out to your 43 00:02:15,220 --> 00:02:19,060 first Captain , Lieutenant Riley 44 00:02:19,060 --> 00:02:22,240 Mcginnis . Okay . Yeah . 45 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,070 Okay . I am particularly proud that 46 00:02:31,070 --> 00:02:34,250 this year senior cadets from West Point , 47 00:02:34,260 --> 00:02:36,260 the Air Force Academy and the Naval 48 00:02:36,260 --> 00:02:39,440 Academy are all women . Yeah . 49 00:02:41,740 --> 00:02:45,050 Your country . Yeah . Okay . 50 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:50,280 Yeah . Lieutenants . I 51 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:52,169 hope that you're feeling proud of 52 00:02:52,169 --> 00:02:54,530 yourself because we are certainly proud 53 00:02:54,530 --> 00:02:57,530 of you . You're graduating under 54 00:02:57,540 --> 00:03:00,680 exceptionally tough circumstances . But 55 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,990 you fought through from our day to 56 00:03:03,990 --> 00:03:06,980 today and you fought through to take 57 00:03:06,980 --> 00:03:09,091 your place in the long gray line . So 58 00:03:09,091 --> 00:03:10,140 congratulations . 59 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,260 You know , this isn't just your day . 60 00:03:22,340 --> 00:03:24,720 It also belongs to the families and 61 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,510 loved ones who have done so much to get 62 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:31,190 you here amid the pandemic when so many 63 00:03:31,190 --> 00:03:33,750 families have suffered taking losses . 64 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,770 It's particularly powerful to have all 65 00:03:37,770 --> 00:03:40,590 of you here with us today . Your 66 00:03:40,590 --> 00:03:44,150 families have worried and sacrifice 67 00:03:44,740 --> 00:03:46,860 and told you to call your mother . 68 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:51,984 They're not going to stop worrying 69 00:03:51,984 --> 00:03:54,770 about you now . But they're also not 70 00:03:54,770 --> 00:03:56,714 going to stop being proud of you . 71 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:00,607 They've given their love and been your 72 00:04:00,607 --> 00:04:03,510 biggest cheerleaders . So let's take a 73 00:04:03,510 --> 00:04:05,621 second to turn that around everyone . 74 00:04:05,621 --> 00:04:07,677 Let's give it up for your families . 75 00:04:17,340 --> 00:04:21,190 Mhm . See some proud 76 00:04:21,190 --> 00:04:23,412 families up there waving and you should 77 00:04:23,412 --> 00:04:25,560 be waving . You've done well , 78 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,462 Lieutenants , it doesn't seem like that 79 00:04:28,462 --> 00:04:30,950 long ago that I was sitting where 80 00:04:30,950 --> 00:04:33,760 you're sitting , so I'm congratulating 81 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:35,593 you not just as the secretary of 82 00:04:35,593 --> 00:04:37,780 defense , But also as a member of the 83 00:04:37,780 --> 00:04:41,750 class of 1975 . You know , 84 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:44,440 I think it's finally safe for me to 85 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:48,090 admit that for much of high school , I 86 00:04:48,090 --> 00:04:50,034 never really considered West Point 87 00:04:50,840 --> 00:04:53,160 still , my family has a strong 88 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,060 tradition of military service . My 89 00:04:56,060 --> 00:04:58,280 father served proudly in World War Two 90 00:04:58,280 --> 00:05:00,850 as a truck driver in the Army Air Corps 91 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:03,418 and I can still remember seeing 92 00:05:03,418 --> 00:05:05,840 pictures of him in his uniform as a 93 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:09,750 young corporal . And one of my uncles 94 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:11,860 was the first african american green 95 00:05:11,860 --> 00:05:15,130 beret that I ever saw . You know , he 96 00:05:15,130 --> 00:05:17,660 came home wearing that green beret . 97 00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:27,062 Yeah , you came home wearing that green 98 00:05:27,062 --> 00:05:29,173 beret and those jump boots and I said 99 00:05:29,173 --> 00:05:31,370 you know I got to do that , I gotta 100 00:05:31,370 --> 00:05:34,260 have some of that . So I grew up 101 00:05:34,270 --> 00:05:37,440 wanting to serve at some point . But I 102 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,690 also grew up being catholic and 103 00:05:39,700 --> 00:05:41,790 fascinated with the idea of going to 104 00:05:41,790 --> 00:05:44,050 Notre dame and joining the fighting 105 00:05:44,050 --> 00:05:47,640 irish . And I wound up getting into 106 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:51,600 Notre dame on a scholarship as 107 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:53,711 well as being offered a place at West 108 00:05:53,711 --> 00:05:56,510 Point . So my father called me in one 109 00:05:56,510 --> 00:05:59,650 day and he said let's talk our way 110 00:05:59,650 --> 00:06:01,428 through this , this is a pretty 111 00:06:01,428 --> 00:06:04,230 important decision . He said listen if 112 00:06:04,230 --> 00:06:06,440 you go to Notre Dame even with that 113 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,460 scholarship it's still going to cost me 114 00:06:09,460 --> 00:06:13,050 some money . Yeah . Mhm . 115 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:18,010 But if you go to West Point it would be 116 00:06:18,020 --> 00:06:20,460 quite an honor . Mhm . 117 00:06:22,340 --> 00:06:24,850 Right . And not only will it not cost 118 00:06:24,850 --> 00:06:28,100 me money but they'll also pay you every 119 00:06:28,100 --> 00:06:31,580 month . Mhm . Yeah and you'll get an 120 00:06:31,580 --> 00:06:33,691 opportunity to do something that very 121 00:06:33,691 --> 00:06:36,690 few people in life get to do . You know , 122 00:06:36,690 --> 00:06:38,912 you can always go to graduate school at 123 00:06:38,912 --> 00:06:41,130 Notre dame , but you only get one 124 00:06:41,130 --> 00:06:44,950 chance to go to West Point , so . Mhm . 125 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:49,150 Okay . Yeah . Yeah . Mhm . 126 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:54,710 Yeah . So we talked 127 00:06:54,710 --> 00:06:56,932 some more and then my dad asked me , he 128 00:06:56,932 --> 00:06:59,150 said it's okay . So son , what do you 129 00:06:59,150 --> 00:07:02,580 want to do ? I said that's easy dad . I 130 00:07:02,580 --> 00:07:06,400 want to go to Notre Dame and he 131 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:08,820 said , okay son , let's try this 132 00:07:08,820 --> 00:07:10,860 conversation again tomorrow . 133 00:07:13,140 --> 00:07:15,029 And I guess you can tell how that 134 00:07:15,029 --> 00:07:18,400 played out . You know , dad's looking 135 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:20,122 pretty smart about right now . 136 00:07:24,030 --> 00:07:26,141 I've never set foot on the West Point 137 00:07:26,141 --> 00:07:29,430 when I started out here , I've never 138 00:07:29,430 --> 00:07:31,990 been to the state of new york . In fact , 139 00:07:31,990 --> 00:07:34,212 the furthest that I had ever been north 140 00:07:34,212 --> 00:07:36,379 that had ever been was north Georgia . 141 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:40,320 I paid for my own flight to get here 142 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,320 from Georgia . And , and it was the 143 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,376 first airplane that I ever flew on . 144 00:07:44,376 --> 00:07:46,560 Yeah . I landed in New York City in 145 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:50,150 1971 . And let me tell you , 146 00:07:50,740 --> 00:07:52,990 it wasn't just different from my home 147 00:07:52,990 --> 00:07:56,900 towns in Georgia and Alabama . It 148 00:07:56,910 --> 00:08:00,740 was another planet . Yeah . And so the 149 00:08:00,740 --> 00:08:02,962 next day I got on a bus and I headed up 150 00:08:02,962 --> 00:08:06,460 here and this academy on the Hudson 151 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,580 look like my second new planet in two 152 00:08:09,580 --> 00:08:13,320 days . Mhm . It was unlike any place 153 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,376 that I've ever seen in my life . The 154 00:08:15,376 --> 00:08:17,598 grounds were perfectly groomed and they 155 00:08:17,598 --> 00:08:19,931 seemed to be filled with perfect people . 156 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:22,207 You know , I still remember the rising 157 00:08:22,207 --> 00:08:23,873 seniors who gave us our first 158 00:08:23,873 --> 00:08:25,984 instructions . They were athletic and 159 00:08:25,984 --> 00:08:29,150 brilliant . They spoke flawlessly with 160 00:08:29,150 --> 00:08:31,261 no pauses or stumbles . I don't think 161 00:08:31,261 --> 00:08:35,070 they ever even blinked . So they made 162 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:38,130 quite a first impression on us and I 163 00:08:38,130 --> 00:08:41,960 found myself thinking there is no way 164 00:08:42,540 --> 00:08:45,060 that I can ever be that good 165 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:49,140 and like many of you , my goal was just 166 00:08:49,140 --> 00:08:51,550 to make it through the first day 167 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,050 and then to the next day and then the 168 00:08:56,050 --> 00:08:59,450 next week and the next month . I 169 00:08:59,450 --> 00:09:01,530 sometimes wondered what good could 170 00:09:01,530 --> 00:09:03,363 possibly come out of all of this 171 00:09:03,363 --> 00:09:06,100 intensity . And I remember being given 172 00:09:06,100 --> 00:09:07,822 just a few minutes to read the 173 00:09:07,822 --> 00:09:10,044 newspaper in the morning and then being 174 00:09:10,044 --> 00:09:12,180 prepared to discuss the items in the 175 00:09:12,180 --> 00:09:15,050 newspaper with the upperclassmen . And 176 00:09:15,050 --> 00:09:18,020 I thought how does that matter ? 177 00:09:18,940 --> 00:09:21,200 How can that possibly make me a better 178 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,560 officer ? And now 179 00:09:25,340 --> 00:09:28,710 as Secretary of Defense , I find myself 180 00:09:28,710 --> 00:09:30,321 with a stack of intelligence 181 00:09:30,321 --> 00:09:33,270 assessments and in international news 182 00:09:33,270 --> 00:09:36,290 clippings that I raced through every 183 00:09:36,290 --> 00:09:38,401 morning and as I do , I think of West 184 00:09:38,401 --> 00:09:39,760 Point and I chuckled . 185 00:09:42,740 --> 00:09:44,796 That's just one of the skills that I 186 00:09:44,796 --> 00:09:47,018 learned here . And it turned out by the 187 00:09:47,018 --> 00:09:49,550 way that the upperclassmen who gave us 188 00:09:49,550 --> 00:09:51,606 such a fine impression on that first 189 00:09:51,606 --> 00:09:53,661 day had actually been rehearsing for 190 00:09:53,661 --> 00:09:56,960 weeks . And that taught me a lifelong 191 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:58,960 lesson in the importance of serious 192 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:02,370 preparation . I learned the folk , I 193 00:10:02,370 --> 00:10:04,481 learned that focus and discipline are 194 00:10:04,481 --> 00:10:06,800 really important . I learned the 195 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,790 importance of mastering your trade and 196 00:10:09,790 --> 00:10:12,012 above all , I learned the importance of 197 00:10:12,012 --> 00:10:13,623 being becoming a team member 198 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:17,840 Lieutenants , on challenging , 199 00:10:17,850 --> 00:10:20,090 challenging deployments , you will have 200 00:10:20,090 --> 00:10:22,090 to work together with your teams to 201 00:10:22,090 --> 00:10:25,060 survive and to succeed . And this 202 00:10:25,070 --> 00:10:27,870 institution excels at instilling 203 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:31,010 exactly that spirit . You've learned 204 00:10:31,010 --> 00:10:33,550 how to follow with loyalty , 205 00:10:34,740 --> 00:10:38,350 you've learned how to lead with honor , 206 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,090 you've learned how to question with 207 00:10:42,090 --> 00:10:45,260 rigor . You know , 208 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:50,040 looking out at all of you , I 209 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:53,430 see the vanguard of a generation . I 210 00:10:53,430 --> 00:10:55,750 see patriotic , committed , young 211 00:10:55,750 --> 00:10:58,170 people coming of age at a hinge in 212 00:10:58,170 --> 00:11:01,430 history who grew up never knowing 213 00:11:01,430 --> 00:11:03,660 anything other than a nation at war . 214 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:08,040 And so now you're about to graduate 215 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:10,190 into a changing country in a changing 216 00:11:10,190 --> 00:11:12,520 world . Were many of the old ways of 217 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:14,687 doing business don't hold up anymore . 218 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,462 You're seeing raw divisions at home and 219 00:11:18,462 --> 00:11:20,573 a painful aftermath of the pandemic . 220 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,730 You may also have heard some of 221 00:11:24,730 --> 00:11:27,640 America's competitors claim that the 222 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:29,862 future belongs to a model that promises 223 00:11:29,862 --> 00:11:31,751 wealth as it stamps out freedom . 224 00:11:33,740 --> 00:11:36,290 You're watching as America's longest 225 00:11:36,290 --> 00:11:39,740 war winds down and you're seeing 226 00:11:39,740 --> 00:11:42,540 technology changed the character of war 227 00:11:42,550 --> 00:11:46,420 itself . And even as 228 00:11:46,420 --> 00:11:49,740 big and rising powers jostle and 229 00:11:49,740 --> 00:11:52,760 compete , you're seeing new threats 230 00:11:53,940 --> 00:11:57,100 from pandemics , to terrorism , to 231 00:11:57,100 --> 00:12:00,390 cyber weapons . And you're seeing those 232 00:12:00,390 --> 00:12:03,550 threats race across borders like a gale . 233 00:12:06,140 --> 00:12:10,000 You know , I might , I just 234 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,740 might have a bit of insight into what 235 00:12:12,740 --> 00:12:16,010 you're facing . A democracy under 236 00:12:16,010 --> 00:12:18,960 strain economic fallout , 237 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:21,480 painful issues of racism and 238 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:24,360 discrimination . Social tensions and 239 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,860 the end of a long and controversial war . 240 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,400 Well , That all sounds pretty familiar 241 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,590 to those of us from the class of 242 00:12:35,590 --> 00:12:36,750 1975 . 243 00:12:39,140 --> 00:12:42,800 So let me assure you of something . And 244 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:45,080 this is from very personal experience . 245 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,730 No matter how strong no headwinds , 246 00:12:48,740 --> 00:12:52,530 West Point will keep you on course it 247 00:12:52,530 --> 00:12:55,100 worked for my class and it will work 248 00:12:55,100 --> 00:12:58,880 for yours . Something's changed . But 249 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:01,980 the skill set taught here is made to 250 00:13:01,980 --> 00:13:04,660 last because it teaches you to adapt . 251 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:08,950 It teaches you to stick with it as your 252 00:13:08,950 --> 00:13:12,650 class model says , until the 253 00:13:12,650 --> 00:13:14,460 battle is one . 254 00:13:17,140 --> 00:13:21,000 Lieutenants you Yeah . 255 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:31,050 Mhm . Lieutenants , you are ready 256 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:35,500 in this young century adaptation is the 257 00:13:35,500 --> 00:13:39,350 name of the game . Leadership is the 258 00:13:39,350 --> 00:13:42,160 name of the game . And West Point has 259 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:44,960 given you what you need to tackle any 260 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:47,610 worthy channel challenge to embrace any 261 00:13:47,610 --> 00:13:50,570 honorable mission . So yes , 262 00:13:51,540 --> 00:13:54,010 you are graduating in extraordinary 263 00:13:54,010 --> 00:13:56,960 circumstances . But let's be clear , 264 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,610 extraordinary circumstances are what 265 00:14:02,620 --> 00:14:05,350 the United States Army does 266 00:14:07,140 --> 00:14:08,140 okay 267 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:17,830 on the face of it . There may may seem 268 00:14:17,830 --> 00:14:20,630 not to be much in common between the 269 00:14:20,630 --> 00:14:22,630 forces that George Washington led , 270 00:14:22,630 --> 00:14:24,797 along the Hudson and between the units 271 00:14:24,797 --> 00:14:26,963 that I've led in the Middle East . But 272 00:14:26,963 --> 00:14:29,720 when we are at our best , we are true 273 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:32,530 to our founding values . And we don't 274 00:14:32,530 --> 00:14:34,760 fight for a tribe or for political 275 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:37,050 leader or for conquest or for ponder 276 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:43,270 no , when we're at our best , we 277 00:14:43,270 --> 00:14:47,010 fight to defend our republic . We 278 00:14:47,010 --> 00:14:49,900 fight to defend our democratic ideals . 279 00:14:49,910 --> 00:14:53,490 We fight to defend human 280 00:14:53,490 --> 00:14:56,060 rights , human dignity , human liberty . 281 00:15:02,540 --> 00:15:06,420 I take it from someone who 282 00:15:06,420 --> 00:15:09,650 spent 41 years in an army uniform . 283 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:13,870 I've seen the problems , but just like 284 00:15:13,870 --> 00:15:16,280 the nation , it defends the United 285 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:18,590 States military strives to be a more 286 00:15:18,590 --> 00:15:21,960 perfect version of itself and I will 287 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:25,560 take that over our competitors any day . 288 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,650 Yeah , right . 289 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:37,980 You know , you serve a country that 290 00:15:37,980 --> 00:15:40,460 sees the use of force as a last resort . 291 00:15:42,340 --> 00:15:44,650 You serve a country that loves liberty . 292 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:48,590 You serve a country that rejects 293 00:15:48,590 --> 00:15:51,870 bullying and aggression and that seeks 294 00:15:51,870 --> 00:15:55,170 the world rooted in rules that favor 295 00:15:55,180 --> 00:15:58,070 the advance of freedom . That stands 296 00:15:58,070 --> 00:16:00,370 for democracy and decency at home or 297 00:16:00,370 --> 00:16:03,350 abroad . You serve a country that works 298 00:16:03,350 --> 00:16:05,720 hand in hand with our old allies and 299 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:08,690 new partners that cherishes the rich 300 00:16:08,700 --> 00:16:10,740 tapestry of the backgrounds of its 301 00:16:10,740 --> 00:16:13,830 citizens that strives to grow into men 302 00:16:13,830 --> 00:16:16,850 and to reach the better angels of our 303 00:16:16,850 --> 00:16:20,260 nature . You serve a country 304 00:16:22,740 --> 00:16:26,180 that knows as our president has said 305 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,140 that we are strongest when the power of 306 00:16:30,140 --> 00:16:33,760 our example matters more than the 307 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:35,450 example of our power . 308 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:41,840 Mhm . 309 00:16:42,940 --> 00:16:46,600 So since becoming 310 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:48,822 secretary of defense , I've worked hard 311 00:16:48,822 --> 00:16:50,878 with my team to put those principles 312 00:16:50,878 --> 00:16:54,540 into place . We're working 313 00:16:54,550 --> 00:16:57,450 urgently to help bring this global help 314 00:16:57,450 --> 00:16:59,617 bring this global pandemic to an end . 315 00:17:00,540 --> 00:17:02,550 We focus on the security challenges 316 00:17:02,550 --> 00:17:05,470 presented by china . We're working hand 317 00:17:05,470 --> 00:17:07,692 in hand with our allies and partners to 318 00:17:07,692 --> 00:17:09,859 strengthen a rules based international 319 00:17:09,859 --> 00:17:13,240 order that advances the cause of human 320 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:17,120 freedom . And we are driving hard 321 00:17:17,130 --> 00:17:18,963 to ensure that we have the right 322 00:17:18,963 --> 00:17:21,290 capabilities and the right operational 323 00:17:21,290 --> 00:17:24,340 concepts and weaving them together in 324 00:17:24,340 --> 00:17:28,050 new and network ways To produce a truly 325 00:17:28,060 --> 00:17:30,710 integrated 21st century vision of 326 00:17:30,710 --> 00:17:33,890 deterrence . And we're doing all of 327 00:17:33,890 --> 00:17:35,890 this while making sure that we take 328 00:17:35,890 --> 00:17:39,320 care of all of our people to grow and 329 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:41,487 to develop the talent that we need for 330 00:17:41,487 --> 00:17:43,598 the for the future and to ensure that 331 00:17:43,598 --> 00:17:46,390 everyone who serves can do so in an 332 00:17:46,390 --> 00:17:48,700 environment that's free of hate and 333 00:17:48,700 --> 00:17:50,478 harassment and discrimination . 334 00:17:58,540 --> 00:18:00,970 Mm hmm . And that Ladies and Gentlemen 335 00:18:00,970 --> 00:18:02,803 is not just a matter of national 336 00:18:02,803 --> 00:18:06,480 principal . It is a matter of 337 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,050 national security . And I , 338 00:18:16,140 --> 00:18:18,240 you know , I learned all of this at 339 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,390 this great institution , this great 340 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,390 engine of leadership . And I kept 341 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:26,550 learning from West Point long after I 342 00:18:26,550 --> 00:18:29,570 graduated . I lived through a lot 343 00:18:29,580 --> 00:18:32,580 between my last day here and my first 344 00:18:32,580 --> 00:18:35,370 day is a general officer . But there 345 00:18:35,370 --> 00:18:38,520 wasn't a day when I didn't draw on my 346 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:42,490 years here at West Point and your time 347 00:18:42,490 --> 00:18:45,030 here will serve you incredibly well 348 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:49,000 over the decades to come as well . You 349 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,290 know , most of all I still , I still 350 00:18:51,290 --> 00:18:53,710 depend on the values that I learned at 351 00:18:53,710 --> 00:18:57,620 West Point . I still believe 352 00:18:57,620 --> 00:18:59,960 that leadership demands character . 353 00:19:01,730 --> 00:19:03,950 I still believe in telling the truth . 354 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:07,662 I still believe in treating people with 355 00:19:07,662 --> 00:19:11,340 dignity and respect . I still 356 00:19:11,340 --> 00:19:13,790 believe in serving your country and I 357 00:19:13,790 --> 00:19:15,790 still believe in the tenants of our 358 00:19:15,790 --> 00:19:17,568 democracy . In the words of our 359 00:19:17,568 --> 00:19:18,568 constitution . 360 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:23,240 Yeah , 361 00:19:28,130 --> 00:19:31,550 those values are the last thing 362 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:34,520 lasting legacy of West Point . They are 363 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:36,687 the guide posts that will steer you're 364 00:19:36,687 --> 00:19:38,464 right when you face the hardest 365 00:19:38,464 --> 00:19:41,400 decisions of your life and some of you 366 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:43,456 second lieutenants will have to will 367 00:19:43,456 --> 00:19:45,456 have to make life and death calls . 368 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:48,270 Those values will see you through . 369 00:19:49,140 --> 00:19:51,450 Those values will guide you home 370 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,890 and you know what you're prepared to 371 00:19:55,890 --> 00:19:59,390 make those decisions . You may not know 372 00:19:59,390 --> 00:20:03,270 it yet , but you are ready to be 373 00:20:03,740 --> 00:20:07,670 leaders . The values that we uphold 374 00:20:08,540 --> 00:20:10,760 are the values that will hold us up 375 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:14,273 and the Department of Defense is 376 00:20:14,273 --> 00:20:16,329 committed to doing everything in its 377 00:20:16,329 --> 00:20:18,551 power to support you when you serve and 378 00:20:18,551 --> 00:20:20,829 when you deploy and when you come back . 379 00:20:20,829 --> 00:20:22,662 And we're also here to help your 380 00:20:22,662 --> 00:20:24,773 families on the home front because we 381 00:20:24,773 --> 00:20:26,718 know that when a soldier deploys , 382 00:20:26,718 --> 00:20:28,940 their loved ones are on the front lines 383 00:20:28,940 --> 00:20:31,840 to Now one Word of advice 384 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,170 hold on to your academy friends . There 385 00:20:36,170 --> 00:20:38,226 are a huge part of what you'll carry 386 00:20:38,226 --> 00:20:41,180 forward my West Point buddies and I 387 00:20:41,180 --> 00:20:43,560 still remember going into to new york 388 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:47,260 city on the very few weekends that we 389 00:20:47,260 --> 00:20:50,880 could get off post Back in those disco 390 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:54,820 days of 1975 , we were surrounded 391 00:20:54,820 --> 00:20:57,920 by bell bottoms and big 392 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,560 hair and white collars . Yeah . 393 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:04,607 And I can tell you up front , just for 394 00:21:04,607 --> 00:21:06,607 the record that I never wore any of 395 00:21:06,607 --> 00:21:10,560 those . Mhm . Obviously . Just kidding . 396 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,850 Okay . We still laugh about those times , 397 00:21:14,850 --> 00:21:17,300 but there was plenty that we didn't 398 00:21:17,300 --> 00:21:20,240 laugh about . We didn't laugh about the 399 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:22,240 struggles of getting through ranger 400 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:24,200 school or airborne school or the 401 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:27,550 strange on the home front of a life of 402 00:21:27,550 --> 00:21:30,660 serving your country . But through it 403 00:21:30,660 --> 00:21:32,771 all , we always knew that the friends 404 00:21:32,771 --> 00:21:34,938 that we've made here with the kinds of 405 00:21:34,938 --> 00:21:36,827 people that you'd want to be in a 406 00:21:36,827 --> 00:21:40,280 foxhole with and I can promise you that 407 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:43,870 we're going to need your courage and 408 00:21:43,870 --> 00:21:47,470 your commitment in the future . You 409 00:21:47,470 --> 00:21:50,260 know , when I graduated , Vietnam ended 410 00:21:50,270 --> 00:21:52,492 and my classmates and I went for a long 411 00:21:52,492 --> 00:21:54,360 time , which in which many of us 412 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:57,062 weren't involved in any kind of a major 413 00:21:57,062 --> 00:22:00,590 conflict . But after September 2001 , 414 00:22:00,590 --> 00:22:02,690 this country found itself in a 415 00:22:02,690 --> 00:22:05,670 continuous fight for almost 20 years 416 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:08,940 and I wound up commanding troops in 417 00:22:08,940 --> 00:22:12,520 combat At the one star , 2 star , three 418 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:16,360 star and four star levels . Now , 419 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:21,030 America's goal is to always lead with 420 00:22:21,030 --> 00:22:23,230 diplomacy and to deter conflict 421 00:22:23,230 --> 00:22:27,110 whenever we can . But if we are forced 422 00:22:27,110 --> 00:22:30,770 to defend ourselves , we will win and 423 00:22:30,770 --> 00:22:32,480 we will win decisively . 424 00:22:34,940 --> 00:22:35,940 You have to 425 00:22:42,940 --> 00:22:45,350 lieutenant Our job is to fight and win 426 00:22:45,350 --> 00:22:48,470 our nation's wars . And that means that 427 00:22:48,470 --> 00:22:50,960 nothing that you have learned here is 428 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:54,510 solely academic because I can pretty 429 00:22:54,510 --> 00:22:57,090 much guarantee you that something that 430 00:22:57,090 --> 00:22:59,257 we're not anticipating , it's going to 431 00:22:59,257 --> 00:23:01,368 happen happen on your watch . Because 432 00:23:01,368 --> 00:23:04,510 we live in an imperfect world , one in 433 00:23:04,510 --> 00:23:06,580 which patriotic young men and women 434 00:23:07,140 --> 00:23:08,918 still learn the ways of war and 435 00:23:08,918 --> 00:23:10,860 volunteered proudly to keep their 436 00:23:10,860 --> 00:23:13,980 fellow citizens safe and we're grateful 437 00:23:13,980 --> 00:23:15,869 to all of you for standing up and 438 00:23:15,869 --> 00:23:19,410 standing tall . Now we don't get to 439 00:23:19,410 --> 00:23:22,680 choose our times , but we do get to 440 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:26,630 shape our times in our democracy . 441 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:28,807 That isn't just a job for those at the 442 00:23:28,807 --> 00:23:31,440 top . It is the responsibility for 443 00:23:31,450 --> 00:23:34,620 every citizen and it is a mission for 444 00:23:34,630 --> 00:23:37,170 every soldier in the United States Army 445 00:23:40,140 --> 00:23:42,770 Lieutenants . You're our will come 446 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,220 and when it does , the eyes of the 447 00:23:46,220 --> 00:23:48,387 nation will turn a gang to the men and 448 00:23:48,387 --> 00:23:50,940 women of West Point in our entire 449 00:23:50,940 --> 00:23:54,280 military and the course of the republic . 450 00:23:54,290 --> 00:23:56,401 And the depth of our security will be 451 00:23:56,401 --> 00:23:58,570 shaped to gain by you and by your 452 00:23:58,570 --> 00:24:02,560 teammates and the other services until 453 00:24:03,140 --> 00:24:04,960 the battle is one . 454 00:24:10,140 --> 00:24:13,950 Yeah . Yeah . Yeah . 455 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:17,070 Yeah . Those who came before you were 456 00:24:17,070 --> 00:24:19,181 so proud to see you were sitting here 457 00:24:19,181 --> 00:24:22,450 today and we believe in you in each and 458 00:24:22,460 --> 00:24:26,290 every one of you and we know that you 459 00:24:26,290 --> 00:24:29,030 will prevail and we know that you will 460 00:24:29,030 --> 00:24:32,450 make us proud for democracy , 461 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:37,050 for liberty , for the constitution 462 00:24:39,340 --> 00:24:42,260 and for duty for honor 463 00:24:43,140 --> 00:24:47,140 for country . Thank you and 464 00:24:47,140 --> 00:24:50,550 congratulations again . Class of 2021 . 465 00:24:53,740 --> 00:24:55,950 Okay . Mhm . Mhm . 466 00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:01,720 Yes 467 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:04,860 sir . Mhm . 468 00:25:16,940 --> 00:25:19,860 Sir , on behalf of the class of 2021 , 469 00:25:19,860 --> 00:25:22,082 we'd like you to present this gift as a 470 00:25:22,082 --> 00:25:24,249 token of our appreciation for speaking 471 00:25:24,249 --> 00:25:26,193 here today . Thank you so much for 472 00:25:26,193 --> 00:25:27,193 coming , sir . 473 00:25:31,140 --> 00:25:32,140 Yeah . 474 00:25:35,750 --> 00:25:37,540 People . Yeah . 475 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:42,440 Yeah .